diff --git a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/AbstractRDBMSAction.java b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/AbstractRDBMSAction.java
index d7837ff3..0f1c7110 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/AbstractRDBMSAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/AbstractRDBMSAction.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.module.rdbms.actions;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.sql.Connection;
 import java.sql.SQLException;
+import java.time.OffsetDateTime;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.actions.AbstractQTableRequest;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.QFieldMetaData;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.QFieldType;
@@ -102,6 +103,14 @@ public abstract class AbstractRDBMSAction
          }
       }
 
+      //////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // todo - let this come from something in the field //
+      //////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      if(value == null && (field.getName().equals("createDate") || field.getName().equals("modifyDate")))
+      {
+         value = OffsetDateTime.now();
+      }
+
       return (value);
    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/jdbc/QueryManager.java b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/jdbc/QueryManager.java
index bc07bf75..6fa85207 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/jdbc/QueryManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/jdbc/QueryManager.java
@@ -652,6 +652,12 @@ public class QueryManager
          statement.setTimestamp(index, timestamp);
          return (1);
       }
+      else if(value instanceof OffsetDateTime)
+      {
+         Timestamp timestamp = new Timestamp(((OffsetDateTime) value).toEpochSecond() * MS_PER_SEC);
+         statement.setTimestamp(index, timestamp);
+         return (1);
+      }
       else if(value instanceof LocalDateTime)
       {
          Timestamp timestamp = new Timestamp(((LocalDateTime) value).toEpochSecond(ZoneOffset.UTC) * MS_PER_SEC);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/RDBMSInsertActionTest.java b/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/RDBMSInsertActionTest.java
index d07d6450..852d7a51 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/RDBMSInsertActionTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/RDBMSInsertActionTest.java
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ public class RDBMSInsertActionTest extends RDBMSActionTest
             rowsFound++;
             assertEquals(6, rs.getInt("id"));
             assertEquals("James", rs.getString("first_name"));
+            assertNotNull(rs.getString("create_date"));
          }
          assertEquals(1, rowsFound);
       }));